Improvement in g-as-frodttcing- furnaces



W. GERHAR'DT. GAS PRODUCING FURNACE.

Patented Feb. 8, 1870.

diluted sate pawn Gemini.

WILLIAM GERHARDT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, THOMAS DAFFIN.

AND THOMAS BANES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LettersfPatent No. 99,554, dated February 8, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN GASJPRODUCING- FURNACES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making parFo! the lame.

Nature and Object of the Invention.

' My invention consists of certain improvements, fully described hereafter, in gas-producing furnaces, the improvements being such that both gases and heated air, which are produced at the same time within the furnacc, can be conducted, under pressure, to any required point or points, and can be combined in such proportions as to-produce, when ignited, abroad and powerful jet of flame, which may be utilized for melting and smelting-furnaces, heating stcam-boilers, or for any of the purposes for which ordinary furnaces are. employed.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing. Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved furnace;

' Figure 2, also a vertical section, viewed from a s de opposite to that shown infig. 1 i

Figure 3, a sectional plan on the line 1-2, fig. 1; Figure 4, a sectional view of the upper portion of the furnace; and

Figures 5, 6, and 7, detached views drawn to an enlarged scale, and illustrating portions of my invention.

General Description.

The body A of the furnace is, in the presentinstance, square, although it may be cylindrical or of other convenient form, and it is covered at the top by a plate, B, the peculiar construction of which will be fully described hereafter.

The furnace is provided with a double-inclined grate, consisting of pipes c c and c 0 above, and of an ordinary grate beneath, the bars a of the latter being placed close together in order to retain particles of fuel small enough to pass between the said pipes; and beneath this double grate is a chamber or ash-pit, b, with which communicates a door, 0, in the front of the furnace.

All of the pipes c c and c c are supplied with air under pressure by a pipe, F, which rests upon a ledge, d, outside the furnace, it being proposed to connect this latter pipe with a fan, or with a reservoir containing compressed air.

The projecting ends of the central pipes c c of the grate are also connected, at the opposite side of the furnace, with a horizontal pipe, G, which communicates with a third pipe, H, the latter, which isslightly inclined upward, extending across the furnace above the grate, and terminating, finally, outside the furnace in a. flange, e, by means of which itis connected to a pipe, H, referred to hereafter. (See figs. 1, 2, and 3.)

The pipes c c of the grate extend across, but do not project through the furnace, and are open at their inner-ends, they being perforated, on their under sides, with a number of holes f, and each containing a tube, I, of small diameter, which is likewise open at its inner end, and perforated at points opposite the holes f of the outer pipe.

These tubes I communicate with a water-pipe,,J, which is fed from an adjoining reservoir in which the water is maintained at such a height that it shail not rise in the tubesI to a point above the lowernnst of the openings f; inother words, to a greater height than is represented by the line a m, fig. 5.'

K, L, and M, are three gas-ilnes, arranged within the furnace, against one of the walls of tliesaine, as best observed in figs. 2 and 6, and projecting downward to a point beneath or on line with the grate, where they all communicate with a horizoutalpipc, R, the upper cndsof these firms, which extend to differcnt heights in the furnace, each terminating in a short branch, Ii, which extends through-the wall of thc'furnace, and is closed, at its outer end, by a plug, c, a rod, j, to which is attached a valve, j, being arranged to slide through this plug and branch, for the pn'rpose of closing the flue, as will be hereafter described.

The pipe R, with which all the gas-fines conn-nuuicate, extends through both sides of the furnace, and terminates atone end in a flange, k, and, at its opposite end, in a flange, 1, ata point adjacent to the flange c of the hot-air pipe H.

To this flange l, of the pipe R, is connected a pipe, R, which is continued in a direction parallel with the pipe H, to the point where the hot air and gases are to be combined and ignited.

To effect this combination of thehot air and gases,

the pipe H is furnished with a branch, m, which pro-' jects into and extends part way through a branch, m, of the pipe (See fig. 7.)

A valve, 1), operated by a rod, 1), is arranged within the branch m, so that it may be closed against the end of the branch m, for the purpose of regulating the supply of hot air from the latter.

The top plate B of the furnace, before referred to, is formed with a hopper, q, which has a hinged bottom, 'r' opcratcd through the medium of a screw-rod, r. and haud whecl, r, and a top or cover-plate, s, which can be raised or lowered by means of a lever, s. (See fig. 4.)

Fuel having been piled upon the double grate of the through the pipes cc and c c of the grate, and into.

and through the pipcs G, H, and H.

The air for the -support of combustion is discharged from the open ends of the pipes c, and from the orifices f of the same, it becoming, in its passage through these pipes, which are contained in the midst of the The steam escapes through the ends and orifices of the tubes into the outer pipes c, where it is combined with the heated air, and escapes with the same, in the manner above described. The combined air and steam are forced, in jets, through the orifices f, to points heneath the grate, and are diffused through the chamber b,afterward'passing upward, through the grate, to support the combustion of the fuel.

it will thus be seen that by this peculiar arrangement of pipes, the hot air and steam for the support of combustion can be prod-need within the furnace above the grate, to be fed to the fuel at the most advantageous point, namely, beneath the grate.

The combined steam and air, after passing upward through the grate, become decomposed by the burning fuel, and unite with the products of combustion, the gases thus produced, owing to the draught within the furnace, entering the lines K, L, and M, and passing downward through the same into the pipe R, by which theyare conducted to the pipe It, and thence to the points where they are to be utilized.

The pipes O U of the grate serve merely to heat the air which is forced through them, this air being again conducted through the furnace by the pipe H,- and thus becoming more highly heated, it finally entering the pipe 11', by which it is conducted to the points at which it is to be combined with the gases.

The air and gases, both under strong pressure, are forced through the branches at and m, and are ignited at the point of union, the result being a broad and powcrtill jet of flame, which can be utilized for melting and smelting-fnrnaccs, heating steam-boilers, or for any of the purposes for which ordinary furnaces are employed. The valve 1), within the branch at, enables the supply of heated air to be properly proportioned in respect to the supply of gases, so as to produce a flame of the most intense heat.

I It will be understood that the pipes H and R can be provided with as many of these branches at and m as there are required jets of flame.

If desired, two other pipes, similar to the pipes H and R, can be connected to the pipe G, and to the flange It of the pipe R.

]n chargingthe furnace with fresh fuel, it is important' that none of the gases should escape from the same, and it is forthis purpose that the charging-hopper q is closed at both top and bottom, the top plate s being raised by means of its lever s, in order to fill the hopper with fuel, and being again closed before the bottom r of the hopper is lowered, to permit the passage of the fuel into the furnace.

it is also important, in charging the furnace, that particles of fuel, 850., should not be permitted to enter and choke the gas-fines K, L, and M, for which reason the latter are furnished with the valves j, which can be operated from outside the furnace in such a. manner as to close the entrances to said flues.

The valves j also enable one or more of the fines to Claims.

- 1. In a gas-producing furnace,adouble-inclined grate, consisting of pipes c and c, and of bars a, arranged substantially in the manner described.

2. The bars a of the furnace, open at their inner ends, perforated beneath with a number of holes f, and furnished with air, "under pressure by a pipe, 1 all sub stant-ially as herein set forth.

3. The combination of the said pipes c' with watertubes I, when the latterare contained within the former, and are likewise open at their inner ends, and perforated bencath with a number of small holes, all substantially as herein described.

4. The perforations of the water or steam-tubes I, so arranged, in respect to the openings f of the airpipes c, that jets of combined steam and air may be projected downward from the latter openings into the space beneath the grate.

5. The combination and arrangement, substantially as herein described, of the air-pipes F, G, G, H, and H.

(i. The gas-fines K, L, and M, arranged within the furnace at different heights above the grate, and communicating with pipes B and It, substantial] y as herein setforth.

7. The valves j in the said gas-fines, for the purpose specified.

8. The combination, substantially as herein described, of the branches at and m of the pipeslI' and R, for the purpose specified.

9. The valve 1), arranged within the branch m, for the purpose of regulating the passage of air from the branch m.

10. The charging-hopper q, furnished with a hinged bottom, andwitli a cover-plate arranged to be operated independently of each other, substautiallv as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence 'of two subscribing witnesses.

'WILLIAM GERHARDT.

Witnesses:

J onn WHITE, WMFA. STEEL. 

